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Crawford officially sworn in

Senator Patrick Leahy, left, administers the oath of office to Geoffrey W. Crawford, right, during an investiture ceremony appointing Crawford to U.S. District Judge at the federal courthouse, Tuesday in Burlington.(Photo: ALDEN PELLETT/FOR THE FREE PRESS)

Geoffrey W. Crawford formally took the oath as Vermont's 20th U.S. District Court Judge on Tuesday, telling a Burlington courtroom packed with members of the state's legal community that he hopes to bring humility to his new post.

"That one characteristic that is most important to me is humility, the willingness to put what someone else is saying, especially an inarticulate litigant, first before your own stream of internal chatter," Crawford said.

"He reminds me very much of a hero of mine, (Justice) John Paul Stevens, and it wasn't just the bow tie," Leahy said, alluding to Crawford's trademark habit of sporting bow ties. Leahy, in honor of Crawford, also wore a bow tie Tuesday and said it the first time he said he's worn a bow tie in 40 years.

Crawford's rise through the judiciary world in the last year has been meteoric.

After serving 11 years as a state Superior Court judge, Crawford was appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court by Gov. Peter Shumlin in September, only to be nominated to the federal bench in March by President Barack Obama, at Leahy's recommendation.

Crawford's nomination to be a federal judge sailed through the Senate; he was approved by a 95-0 vote in June and was sworn in as a U.S. District Court judge by Judge William K. Sessions a week ago.

"You've gone from justice to judge," Sessions joked in his remarks at Tuesday's event. "Is that the right direction?" It was Sessions' decision to go on senior status that opened the door for Crawford's ascension to the federal bench.

Crawford, in his speech, recalled a dinner conversation he had last winter the late Cheryl Hanna, the Vermont Law School professor and legal commentator, who died on July 27.

"She spoke to me at dinner, very strongly, about the importance of judges being seen and heard as members of the community, not as priests, not as isolated people ... but as community members ... like everyone else that makes our society go round," Crawford said.

Hanna's death at 48, by suicide, jolted the Vermont legal and media community. Crawford made no mention of the circumstances of her death, but praised her for her wit, intelligence and advocacy for her students and the law.

Crawford's event at U.S. District Court in Burlington drew so many people to the fifth floor courtroom that an overflow group of onlookers watched via a video feed in the fourth floor courtroom.

The crowd included a large number of lawyers from the Burlington area and beyond, plus current and former state judges and justices, all of the state's federal judges, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Peter Hall, members of Crawford's family and friends.

Crawford will preside over proceedings at U.S. District Court in Rutland, replacing Judge Christina Reiss, who will take over as the presiding judge in Burlington.

Contact Sam Hemingway at 660-1850 or shemingway@freepressmedia.com. Follow Sam on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SamuelHemingway.